CLEVELAND – Two days ago, Angels manager Mike Scioscia was asked if top prospect Mike Trout might be the spark the Angels needed to turn around their sluggish start.

Trout’s promotion was not “imminent,” Scioscia said at the time, and the 20-year-old would not be promoted until there was “a significant role” for him with the Angels.

Following another painful defeat in Cleveland Friday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto decided that time was now. The Angels released veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu and promoted Trout from Triple-A. He is expected to join the team in time for Saturday’s afternoon game.

“Mike is going to play,” Dipoto said of Trout’s role.

“We want to get Mike into the lineup, see if we can add a little energy, get some spice. He’s off to a great start. Just looking to shake things up a little bit is probably the best way to put it.”

After a spring spent fighting off a viral infection and shoulder inflammation, Trout tore up the Pacific Coast League batting .403 in 20 games for Triple-A Salt Lake with hits in 18 of those games, a .467 on-base percentage, 21 runs scored and 10 extra-base hits (four doubles, five triples, one home run).

How Scioscia fits him into an outfield rotation that still includes Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo even with Abreu released remains to be seen. But Trout’s role could be to fill a big void at the top of the Angels’ lineup. He has been batting leadoff in Salt Lake – Angels’ leadoff hitters have batted .195 in the first 20 games with a .250 on-base percentage.

Dipoto flew to Cleveland, arriving at Progressive Field in the fourth inning of the Angels’ eventual 3-2 loss, and broke the news to Abreu after the game that he had been released.

The move was as necessary – and predictable – as it will be costly to Angels owner Arte Moreno who has made a frequent habit out of paying players not to play for him. Scott Kazmir ($9.5 million) and Justin Speier ($6.5 million) were both released with millions still owed on their contracts in the past two years. Gary Matthews Jr. was traded away with the majority of his contract ($21 million) remaining on the Angels’ ledger.

Abreu is owed $9 million this season in the option year of the contract he signed with the Angels after the 2009 season. The Angels will pay that minus any salary Abreu collects if he is signed by another team.

“This was the right thing to do,” Dipoto said, declining to say how the move might impact his ability to maneuver at the trade deadline. “It’s not comfortable. It’s not comfortable for Arte. It’s not comfortable for the organization. That’s a lot of money.”

It does end months of speculation over how much longer the Angels would try to deny Abreu’s obviously declining skills – and whether they could find a taker for him in a trade of any kind. Deals were reportedly in place to send Abreu to the Yankees (for A.J. Burnett before spring training) and the Indians (in mid-spring) but neither reached fruition.

“I’m sad because I had good times with this team,” Abreu said as he left the Angels’ locker room Friday night. “This is a business. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Abreu chafed over his demotion to role player status with limited playing time this season. But he hit only .208 (5 for 24) in eight games. Now he finds himself on the open market at age 38. That has not been a good situation to be in for a number of veteran DH-types like Vladimir Guerrero (still unsigned), Hideki Matsui (signed to a minor-league deal by the Rays this week) and Johnny Damon (signed by the Indians last week).

“I’m just going to wait and see what’s going to happen,” Abreu said, adding that he had no bitterness over the way things ended with the Angels. “Not really. It was a tough situation. The way I was playing I knew that was going to be my situation. We talked about it (limited playing time) in spring training. It was no surprise.

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